CycoActive - Professional Endurance Cycle Coaching
  • CycoActive Coaching
  • Your Coach
  • Pricing
  • Mallorca Guiding
  • Contact Me
  • Going Solo Blog
  • Backroads Blog
  • MarathonMTB
  • Mallorca - Sian & Mark

Capital Punishment 2014 - Canberra

16/3/2014

1 Comment

 

Mixed Blessings

It appears the stars were not aligned from the outset. Leaving Manly at four in the afternoon, meant I hit the mad rush to get home. More like a listless crawl, as I edged forwards one car length at a time along the notoriously busy Military Road. I contented myself with the thought that several people do this every day of the week while I am lucky enough to be able to commute on my road bike and avoid this purgatory. After an hour and a half, I had travelled a whopping 20 km and 300 km of road still lay ahead. Once past Liverpool, I donned the shades, cranked up the ipod and with the rich, hearty tones of Marilyn Manson, my sanity was strangely restored as I hit the accelerator, finally reaching the speed limit and I began to enjoy the freedom of the motorway. 
Picture
Once registered, I left Canberra town centre but, as I tried unsuccessfully to tune into the Manly-Souths League game, I found myself driving down a 3-lane one-way street. Luckily, the fast-moving oncoming traffic was in the other two lanes and a catastrophe was averted. On reaching the house my Jetblack team had booked for the weekend, I found that the others had already taken to their temporary nests and, conscious not to disturb anyone, I took the only available spot on the floor under the snooker table. Mosquitoes were eating me alive and when I retreated under the cover of my sleeping bag I soon found myself in a lake of sweat. It was already 1 am, and fearing no sleep at all, I found solace in the laundry room. It was cool and mosquito free. I began to worry about redback spiders, who just love these damp rooms and the scratches on the door, which I had assumed were from a cat, now, in my mind, were from the resident rats. Richard Kuklinski, the Iceman, had fed his victims to rats while they were still alive...Resigned to a gruesome death by spider venon, while rats feasted on my eyeballs, I somehow drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

PictureRace Start for Wave 1 (AROC, 2014)
I awoke at five in the morning, and the events of the night now seemed a distant memory. I checked in a mirror, certain I would resemble a victim of the bubonic plague, but there was not one bite or welt. Perhaps, I was merely a victim of my own imagination.

With no time for a warm-up, I took my place in the first of seven waves, alongside the Big Guns of Endurance Mountain Biking. Elite riders, such as Dylan Cooper, Shawn Lewis, Jason English, Brett Bellchambers and Jenny Fay, but also regular foes Garry James, Mike Israel and Trent Moore. As I had expected, the pace was frenetic from the outset, and I struggled to keep in contact with the main group. A rider came alongside me complaining he had forgotten to take a bottle of water and he was in for a long day. I remember noticing him on the start line and had wondered what insane strategy he was employing. The rider was Jamie Ingram, and he was able to salvage a dropped bottle after just 10 km, thus saving him from the damaging effects of dehydration. Perhaps the rider ahead, who had dropped the bottle, was less fortunate. 

As the course wound its way through the wonderful singletrack of Kowen, Sparrow Hill and Majura Pines it became strikingly obvious that my descending was, once again, holding me back. I was playing tag with Eliza Kwan, who was eventually to finish 3rd in female elite. I was able to move past her comfortably on the flat and uphill sections, only for her to close (and even be held up) on the downhills. I sincerely apologise to her for that, and I know that any improvement in this area will dramatically improve my race times.
PictureTaking stock of the 10 km untimed section. (Gbel, 2014)
After 65 km, the race enters a 10 km untimed section, which allows riders to refuel and recover. To be brutally honest, this really works against me as it takes away some of the endurance element, which is my strength. I waited 53 minutes of the allocated 55, before setting off with Justin Dewhurst on the undulations of Black Mountain. Caution was necessary on this section, as the descents were fast and loose. For once, I was not the only one grabbing large handfuls of brake. Initially, I dropped back from the riders ahead, unable to find my rhythm and power. Like an old diesel, I found my legs, and started to cut through the riders in front. On catching Justin, I took my place at the front and he jumped in my slipstream. After a few minutes, he hadn't come round to do his time in the wind and I knew he was struggling. I kept up the speed and next time I looked around he had popped.                                                                                           

PictureJenny Fay and Dylan Cooper (AROC, 2014)

Justin had been three minutes ahead, having started in the second wave, and this provided the motivation to keep pushing hard to the finish at Mt. Stromlo. I climbed the switchbacks with renewed gusto and, as always, thrived on the white knuckle descending along skyline and the luge. I was to take five minutes on the final section to beat him by two. Finishing in 4.08.52, I trimmed 10 minutes off my time from the previous year and placed 96th.

Dylan Cooper and Jenny Fay took line honors in the elite category with Shaun Lewis, Jason English, Naomi Hansen and Eliza Kwan filling the podium. Mike Israel was an excellent 44th, Trent Moore 52nd, Jetblack teammates Andrew Finlayson 32nd and Andrew Fell 69th. Congratulations to Guy Cowan (87th) and Elvio Fernandes (95th), Elvio finally beating me by just nine seconds!


official result
Anthony Shippard Blog
1 Comment
Spencer
16/3/2014 16:14:01

Well done you are getting to fast for me to ever get near you

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Author


    ​Level 3 Road & Time Trial Cycle Coach with British Cycling (BC) & the Association of British Cyclists (ABBC)

    National Master Wattbike Instructor


    Cycle Strength & Conditioning Coach 

    ​Cycle Trip Leader

    Sports Scientist (Honours degree in PE & Sports Science - Loughborough University)

    Postgraduate Teaching degree in PE & History (Loughborough University)


    Silver Medalist in WEMBO's World MTB 24 hour 40-44 solo at Finale Ligure, Italy, 2012 

    Silver Medalist at the Australian National MTB 24 hour 40-44 solo, 2012 & 2013

    I have completed several of the World's biggest stage races, including the Crocodile Trophy in Australia, the Mongolia Bike Challenge, the Sudety in Poland and the Andalucia Bike Race

    Categories

    All
    12 Hour Races
    Andalucia Bike Race
    Asthma
    Coaching
    Commuting
    Crocodile Trophy
    Cycle Tourism
    Diet & Exercise
    Dragon Devil
    Indoor Cycling
    LEJOG
    Majorca 312
    Mallorca
    Marathon Races / 100 Km
    Mongolia Bike Challenge
    Most Popular
    Obesity
    Passion & Goals
    Philosophy Of Life
    Port To Port
    Principles Of Training
    Prudential 100
    Ramo Pro Cycling
    Rocky Trail
    Ronde Picarde
    Sportives
    Stage Racing
    STM Chocolate Foot
    Strava
    Sudety
    Sufferfest
    Teaching
    Team Races
    Tour Of Wessex
    Training Rides
    Travel
    Ventoux
    Watt Bike / Power Training
    WEMBO / 24 Hour Races
    WSMTB



    Significant Results

    Stage Races
    • Crocodile Trophy 2013, Australia - 5th
    • Port 2 Port 2014, Australia - 4th
    • Sudety MTB Challenge 2014, Poland / Czech Republic - 15th
    • Mongolia Bike Challenge 2014 - 6th

    24 Hours
    • WEMBO World 24 hour Solo, Italy, 2012 - 2nd
    • Australian National 24 hour Solo, 2013 - 2nd
    • Australian National 24 hour Solo, 2012 - 2nd
    • Scott 24 hour Solo, 2012 - 1st
    • Sydney 24 hour, 2011    - 1st

    7 hour Enduro Series
    • Rocky Trail 7 hour Series, 2013 - 1st
    • Chocolate Foot STM 7 hour Series, 2013 - 3rd
    • Chocolate Foot STM 7 hour Series, 2012 - 3rd
    • Chocolate Foot STM 7 hour Series, 2011 - 1st

    12 hour Enduros
    • Sydney 12 hr, 2014 - 1st
    • Sydney 12 hr, 2013 - 1st
    • Sydney 12 hr, 2012 - 1st

    6+6 hour Enduros
    • National 6+6, 2014 - 1st
    • Sydney 6+6, 2013 -    1st
    • Sydney 6+6, 2010 -    1st

    Archives

    August 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    April 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    January 2018
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.